ADRC workshop to look at future technologies, security

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On the heels of a successful kickoff, the Aerospace & Defense Research Collaboratory (ADRC) will hold its first collaborative aerospace and defense (A&D) workshop to focus on clusters of technologies related to unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and security.

The ADRC workshop, hosted at the University of Arizona on March 25, is open to industry, academia, government and other sectors of the A&D industry.

The ADRC, funded under the Aerospace and Defense Initiative (ADI) from Science Foundation Arizona, is a state-wide initiative – led by Arizona State University in association with University of Arizona, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Northern Arizona University – to build broad partnerships between higher education and industry that will help create a competitive advantage for the state’s A&D sector.

More than 300 A&D leaders from the state attended the Feb. 11 launch at ASU’s Polytechnic campus where they initiated discussions about being more collaborative for the advancement of A&D efforts in Arizona.

The March 25 meeting is where the A&D experts come together to start identifying short-/long-range business and research opportunities. It also provides an opportunity to talk about future technical needs of the industry and the government, and how academia can best meet their challenges.

“Our job from a university standpoint is to listen to industry needs, and let them know what capabilities we can bring to the table to help them meet their challenges,” said Mitzi Montoya, vice provost and dean of the College of Technology & Innovation at ASU and co-director of the ADRC. “When universities in the state can pool their talent and technological resources to serve the needs of the aerospace and defense industry, the obvious advantage will go to companies in Arizona competing in this sector.”

Topics that will be examined include identifying the future needs of the Army and Air Force from a science and technology perspective; the systems – both human and mechanical – that run an unmanned aerial vehicle; and security, from borders to biometrics, a method of recognizing humans based on a uniquely physical or behavioral trait.

According to Werner Dahm, director of ASU’s Security and Defense Systems Initiative and co-director of the ADRC, many important security and defense system technologies are in early stages of development. “We need to provide better access to these technologies for industry and serve as a trusted partner to evaluate and advance their development. Achieving that close partnership will put our aerospace and defense sector in a far better competitive position to benefit Arizona and the nation.”

Unmanned aerial systems are playing an extremely critical role in the defense of the nation and have been deployed extensively in various sectors of conflict around the world, explains Jeff Goldberg, dean of the UA College of Engineering. “As a border state, we must be at the forefront of advancing technologies for security.”